士師記 6

1 以色列的子民又行了上主視為惡的事，上主把他們交於米德楊人手中七年之久。

And the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord gave them up into the hand of Midian for seven years.

2 米德楊人的勢力勝過了以色列，以色列子民為了防禦米德楊人，修築了山洞、地洞和山寨。

And Midian was stronger than Israel; and because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made holes for themselves in the mountains, and hollows in the rocks, and strong places.

3 每逢以色列人撒種之後，米德楊人、阿瑪肋克人和東方子民就上來攻打他們；

And whenever Israel's grain was planted, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them;

4 對著他們紮營，毀壞地產直到迦薩一帶，沒有給以色列留下一點食糧，連羊、牛、驢也沒有留下；

And put their army in position against them; and they took all the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, till there was no food in Israel, or any sheep or oxen or asses.

5 因為他們總是帶著家畜和帳棚上來，多如蝗蟲；他們來的人和駱駝多得無數，踏入境內，毀壞田地。

For they came up regularly with their oxen and their tents; they came like the locusts in number; they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land for its destruction.

6 以色列為了米德楊人的原故，很是窮困，因此以色列子民呼籲了上主。

And Israel was in great need because of Midian; and the cry of the children of Israel went up to the Lord.

7 當以色列子民為了米德楊的原故，呼籲上主時，

And when the cry of the children of Israel, because of Midian, came before the Lord,

8 上主就派了一位先知到以色列子民那裏，對他們說：「上主以色列的天主這樣說：是我使你們由埃及上來，領你們離開了為奴之家；

The Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, The Lord the God of Israel, has said, I took you up from Egypt, out of the prison-house;

9 是我從埃及人的手中，從一切壓迫你們的人手中救出你們來；是我從你們面前把他們趕走，把他們的地賜給你們。

And I took you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hands of all who were cruel to you, and I sent them out by force from before you and gave you their land;

10 我曾對你們說過：我是上主你們的天主，你們在阿摩黎地方，切不可敬畏他們的神! 但是你們沒有聽從我的話。」基德紅被召

And I said to you, I am the Lord your God; you are not to give worship to the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living, but you did not give ear to my voice.

11 上主的使者來到，坐在敖弗辣的一棵屬於阿彼厄則爾人約阿士的篤耨樹下，當時他的兒子基德紅正在釀酒池裏打麥子，躲避米德楊人。

Now the angel of the Lord came and took his seat under the oak-tree in Ophrah, in the field of Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was crushing grain in the place where the grapes were crushed, so that the Midianites might not see it.

12 上主的使者顯現給他，對他說：「英勇的壯士，願上主與你同在! 」

And the angel of the Lord came before his eyes, and said to him, The Lord is with you, O man of war.

13 基德紅回答他說：「我主，請原諒! 如果上主與我們同在，我們怎會遭遇這些困難﹖他們曾向我們說過：看，是上主領我們出離埃及，但是現在上主拋棄了我們，將我們交在米德楊人的掌握中。」

Then Gideon said to him, O my lord, if the Lord is with us why has all this come on us? And where are all his works of power, of which our fathers have given us word, saying, Did not the Lord take us out of Egypt? But now he has given us up, handing us over to the power of Midian.

14 上主注視他說：「憑你這種力量，你去拯救以色列脫離米德楊人的掌握。看，是我派遣你。」

And the Lord, turning to him, said, Go in the strength you have and be Israel's saviour from Midian: have I not sent you?

15 他回答說：「我主，請原諒! 我憑什麼拯救以色列﹖看，我家在默納協支派中是最卑微的，我在我父親家中又是最小的一個。」

And he said to him, O Lord, how may I be the saviour of Israel? See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 上主對他說：「有我與你同在，你必擊敗米德楊人，如擊一個人一樣。」

Then the Lord said to him, Truly, I will be with you, and you will overcome the Midianites as if they were one man.

17 基德紅又向他說：「我若在你面前蒙恩，請你給我一個記號，證明與我說話的是你。

So he said to him, If now I have grace in your eyes, then give me a sign that it is you who are talking to me.

18 請你不要離開此地，等我回到你這裏，帶來禮物，擺在你前。」他答應說：「我等你回來。」

Do not go away till I come with my offering and put it before you. And he said, I will not go away before you come back.

19 基德紅就去預備了一隻小公山羊，又用一「厄法」麥粉作了無酵餅，把肉放在筐裏，把湯盛在罐裏，帶到篤耨樹下獻給他。

Then Gideon went in and made ready a young goat, and with an ephah of meal he made unleavened cakes: he put the meat in a basket and the soup in which it had been cooked he put in a pot, and he took it out to him under the oak-tree and gave it to him there.

20 天主的使者對他說：「拿出肉和無酵餅來，放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來! 」他就照樣作了。

And the angel of God said to him, Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and put them down on the rock over there, draining out the soup over them. And he did so.

21 上主的使者遂伸出手中的棍杖，杖頭一觸及肉和無酵餅，磐石便起火，把肉和無酵餅吞噬了；上主的使者便從他眼前隱沒了。

Then the angel of the Lord put out the stick which was in his hand, touching the meat and the cakes with the end of it; and a flame came up out of the rock, burning up the meat and the cakes: and the angel of the Lord was seen no longer.

22 基德紅遂知道他是上主的使者說：「哎呀！我主上主，我竟然面對面地看見上主的使者！」

Then Gideon was certain that he was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, I am in fear, O Lord God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

23 但上主對他說：「你放心! 不必害怕，你不會死!

But the Lord said to him, Peace be with you; have no fear: you are in no danger of death.

24 基德紅就在那裏給上主立了一座祭壇，稱為雅威沙隆；至今還在阿彼厄則耳人的敖弗辣那裏。德基紅拆毀巴耳祭壇

Then Gideon made an altar there to the Lord, and gave it the name Yahweh-shalom; to this day it is in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 當夜上主對他說：「取你父親的一隻牛，即那隻七歲的肥牛，以後拆毀你父親的巴耳祭壇，打碎旁邊的阿舍辣；

The same night the Lord said to him, Take ten men of your servants and an ox seven years old, and after pulling down the altar of Baal which is your father's, and cutting down the holy tree by its side,

26 給上主你的天主在這磐石頂上建一座祭壇，準備妥當，將那隻肥牛獻為全燔祭，用打碎的阿舍辣作木柴。」

Make an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this rock, in the ordered way and take the ox and make a burned offering with the wood of the holy tree which has been cut down.

27 基德紅就從僕人中選出十個人，照上主吩咐他的作了；但因為害怕父親的家人和城裏的人，不敢在白天行事，就在黑夜作了。

Then Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had said to him; but fearing to do it by day, because of his father's people and the men of the town, he did it by night.

28 城裏的人早晨起來，看見巴耳的祭壇已毀，旁邊所有的阿舍辣也被打碎，那隻肥牛也獻於新築的祭壇上，

And the men of the town got up early in the morning, and they saw the altar of Baal broken down, and the holy tree which was by it cut down, and the ox offered on the altar which had been put up there.

29 就彼此詢問說：「誰作了這事﹖」經過考察追問之後，斷定說：「必是約阿士的兒子基德紅作了這事。」

And they said to one another, Who has done this thing? And after searching with care, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.

30 因此本城的人對約阿士說：「將你的兒子交出來，將他處死! 因為他拆毀了巴耳的祭壇，打碎了旁邊的阿舍辣。」

Then the men of the town said to Joash, Make your son come out to be put to death, for pulling down the altar of Baal and cutting down the holy tree which was by it.

31 約阿士回答所有反對他的人說：「你們要為巴耳辯護麼﹖或者你們要就助他嗎﹖誰為他辯護，明天早晨便該處以死刑! 他如果是神，讓他為自己辯護罷! 因為有人拆毀了他的祭壇。」

But Joash said to all those who were attacking him, Will you take up the cause of Baal? will you be his saviour? Let anyone who will take up his cause be put to death while it is still morning: if he is a god, let him take up his cause himself because of the pulling down of his altar.

32 因此當天人就稱基德紅為「耶魯巴耳，」好像說：「讓巴耳與他爭辯，因為基德紅拆毀了他的祭壇。」基德紅求證

So that day he gave him the name of Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal take up his cause against him because his altar has been broken down.

33 那時，米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方子民都聚集起來，過了河，在依次勒耳平原安了營。

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east, banding themselves together, went over and put up their tents in the valley of Jezreel.

34 上主的神充滿了基德紅，他一吹號角，阿彼厄則爾人便應召前來跟隨他；

But the spirit of the Lord came on Gideon; and at the sound of his horn all Abiezer came together after him.

35 他又打發使者走遍默納協，默納協人也應召前來跟隨他；他又打發使者往阿協爾、則步隆和納斐塔里去，他們也都上來與他們會合。

And he sent through all Manasseh, and they came after him; and he sent to Asher and Zebulun and Naphtali, and they came up and were joined to the others.

36 基德紅就對天主說：「如果你按你所說的，真要藉著我的手拯救以色列，

Then Gideon said to God, If you are going to give Israel salvation by my hand, as you have said,

37 看我將剪下的一把羊毛放在禾場上，若露水單單落在羊毛上，而遍地都是乾的，那麼我便曉得，如你所說的，你真要藉我的手拯救以色列。」

See, I will put the wool of a sheep on the grain-floor; if there is dew on the wool only, while all the earth is dry, then I will be certain that it is your purpose to give Israel salvation by my hand as you have said.

38 次日清早起來，果然如此，基德紅把羊毛一擰，從羊毛裏擰出一碗露水。

And it was so: for he got up early on the morning after, and twisting the wool in his hands, he got a basin full of water from the dew on the wool.

39 基德紅又向天主說：「如果我再說一次，求你別對我發怒! 請讓我用這羊毛再試一次：單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。」

Then Gideon said to God, Do not be moved to wrath against me if I say only this: let me make one more test with the wool; let the wool now be dry, while the earth is covered with dew.

40 那一業天主果然這樣作了，單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。

And that night God did so; for the wool was dry, and there was dew on all the earth round it.